Mechanism for feeding tags, cards, etc.



Oct. '30 1923. 4

v H. C. GAMMETER MECHANISM FOR FEEDING mes, CARDS, ETC

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1920 Q a b 33 1 a JH/ z'z zaz" jtfarneyaOct. 30, 1923. 1,472,466

H. c. GAMMETER q MECHANISM FOR FEEDING TAGS, CARDS, ETC

Filed Oct. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 30 1923.

. 1,412,466 I H. C. GAMMETER MECHANISM FOR FEEDING TAGS, CARDS ETC 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 00 6. 1920 JET/En for HARRY C. GAMMETER, OFCLEVELAND HEIGHTS,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTIGRAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING TAGS, CARDS, ETC.

Application filed October 6, 1920. Serial No. 415,153.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. GAMMETER, residing at Cleveland Heights inthe county of Cuyahoga and State of (lhio, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Mechanism for Feeding Tags, Cards, Etc., ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mechanism for feeding a continuous strip ofpaper to a rotary grinting machine, the object being to provi e accuracyin the presentation of certain regions of the strip to the impressingdevice on the printing machine. In printing tags for instance, it isdesirable in the interest of economy to print them as a connected strip,the tags being separated after printing. In such work, however, it isvery important that the different regions be successively re-registeredwith the printing mechanism, because with an ordinary feeding mechanismerrors in registration accumulate with successive impressions, and thuseven a slight lack of registration becomes so great in a number ofimpressions as to render the product useless, for instance, where asingle imprint comes on two tags.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide means whereby acontinuous paper strip is fed to a rotary printing machine, and isregistered therewith for each impression, thus preventing accumulationof the sli ht errors in presentation.

li/Iy invention is well adapted for printing such price-ta as areattached to garments, the blank fir these tags consisting of acontinuous strip notched at the edges to identify the four corners ofthe tag. Mymechanism uses these notches as a factor in registering eachtag with the printing form. The tag strip isfed forward for each imression a distance slightly greater than the height of one tag, and thenis drawn back until the positionlng mechanism engages the cornernotches, and thus holds the strip with the tag accurately presented.

A further feature of my invention is an arrangement of retractingrollers and posi tioning fingers in such form that they may beconveniently employed in conjunction with a multigraph, which hasrollers for advancing the paper to the impression line.-

A further feature of my invention is an arrangement of all of theaforesaid mechanism in such a manner that it may be adjusted laterallyand longitudinally to feed 231d register various widths and lengths ofThe above and other features of the in vention are hereinafter morefully explained,

and the essential characteristics are set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end view Fig. 4' showing the levers whichengage the material; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the base plateshowing the levers and guide means; Fig. 8 is an end view of the ali ingroller showing the pawl and ratchet amI Fig. 9 shows a strip of materialadapted to be used with my invention.

Referring to'the drawings by reference characters 5 represents a basemember and 6 a, portion of the supporting frame. The rotary printingdrum 7 is journaled on an axle 8 in the frame and may be provided witha. handle by means ofwhich 1t can be rotated. The printing drum may haverails (a few of which are shown at 10 in Fig. 1)

for carrying type, or other printing surface may be employed and carriedin any manner desired. This is all well known and, therefore, is'notshown in detail. Apair of spools shown at 12 carry the impression ribbonfrom which the printing is done. The impression member shownat 14 1sjournaled on the shaft '15, suitable gearing being pro--.

vided whereby the drum and impression member may rotate in unison andpaper fed to the co-operating surfaces of the drum an impression memberwill be drawn in between them and printed. To provide a proper feed forthe material being-printed the following mechanism may be used.

- A roller 18 is continually driven thru the platen gear or other means(not shown). Above this roller is a second roller 19 which ma beshiftably carried by the arm 20 of a bel crank lever 21. This bell cranklever .21 may be pivoted at 22 to a suitable ortion of the frame. Theother arm24 of t e bell crank may be provided with a roller adapted toride over a rib 26 shown as located on the periphery of the drum. Thebell crank lever arm 24 may be urged upward into engagement with thedrum by means of a spring (not shown) carried on the pivoted member.This causes the roller 25 to normally be in engagement with theperiphery of the drum and thereby normally maintains the roller 19 freeof engage ment with the roller 18. g

During an interval in each revolution of the drum the rib 26 depressesthe bell crank as shown in Fig. 2 and during this interval causes therollers 19 and 20 to grip the paper or other material between them andthereby advance the paper an amount'de- "pendent on the length of therib 26. In orcured by thumb screws 43 to the member 32 and on this platethe aligning mechanism may be supported. A freely rotatable roller shownat 30 may be journaled in the block 31 which is indicated as attached tothe tasuit ble member 32. as journaled at 351 in a bearing block 36,which is indicated as removably secured by screws 37 to a leaf spring38. The leaf spring may in turn be removably secured by the fastening'40to a block 41. V

The block 41 is shown as removably secured to a plate 42 by a screw 45and a bolt 46 secured by'a nut 47. The spring 38 is shown as extendingparallel to the plate 42. In order that the tension of this spring maybe adjusted and thereby the pressure which the roll 35 exerts on theroll 30 may be regulated I may provide means shown here as com rising athumb screw 43 threaded on- ,to t e upper partof the bolt 46. By tumingthe thumb screw the tension of the spr n can be very accurately adjustedto iflerent conditions. The rolls 30 and 35 may be made of rubber andare shown as being secured to sleeves 51 and 50.

The sleeves may in turn be mounted on hubs 52 shown as carried by theshaft 351. The various members may be secured together in any desiredmanner.

The. roller 35 is shown as carrying a plate 53 having thereon a springpress pawl member 450 which may engage a ratchet 44 shown as carried onthe shaft 351. The coil spring 54 is indicated as carried on said shaftand may be secured at one end to the A second roller 35 is shown ratchet44 and. at the other end to the bearing block 36.

f a strip of paper he led between the two rolls the latter will berotated thereby winding u the spring 54. After a time the frictionaresistance between the paper and the upper roll will be insufficient toovercome the turning tendency produced by the spring which has beenwound up and when this occurs the roll will cease to rotate and willmerely be held in stationary osition even if the paper continues to bepul ed out.

The amount of turning tendency or the torque exerted by the spring 54before the paper slips thru the rolls without turning them depends onthe pressure of the upper rolls upon the paper and this pressure may begoverned and adjusted as stated by means of the thumb screw 43.

In the printing of tags, and particularly price tagssuch as shown at 80Fig. 9 which are provided with'blank spaces to be filled in, it isdesirable that the proper portion of the tag be presented to the type orprinting surface these tags usually are in strip form having edges ofthe strip intermediate, each separate tag notched as at 81 to provide aV-shaped out which facilitates the separation of the tags from oneanother. The part of the ,inventlon to be now described is particularlyadapted for use in connection with the notched tags just described.Plates are shown as adjustably secured to the base 42 and may beprovidedfwith upturned portions 61" which act as guides for the strip ofpaper or tags after they pass between the rollers 30 and 35.' Notches 62are indicated as provided in the plates60 and in. their upturnedportions 61. The levers 65 are shown as bent at the end 63 and they maybe pivoted at 66 to a bracket member 67 shown as secured to the plate42.

To adapt the mechanism to control tickets of various widths, I haveprovided elongated openings 672 in the base of thebearing block 67, thuspermitti lateral adjustment of the levers 65. The gulde plates 60likewise have similar openings 602 which permit them to be adjusted,laterally with relation to the levers 65.

Suitable springs 68 may be provided to urge the levers to the positionshown in Fig. 1.. In the assembled machine the notched .portion of theplate 60 may be adjustably arranged at a pre-determined distance fromthe type when the latter are in printing position tothereby align thepositionof the impression on the tag with the proper blank spaces. Toattain this adjustment I have provided elongated openings 422 in theplate 42 and clamp screws 421 which are adapted to adjustably secure themechanism at any distance from the multigraph. within the limits of theslot 422, whereb the mechanlsm may not only be adjuste for accuratealignment of the tag but may also be used to adjust the mechanism tocontrol any reasonable length. of card. The plate 42 may- 'is evidentthat for handling various lengths of tickets ribs of different lengthwill be required.

As soon as the rib 26 ceases to engage the roller 25 a spring (notshown) moves the bell crank lever upward from the positionshown in Fig.2 until the roller 25 engages the periphery of the drum. In this positionthe roller 19 is free of contact with the roller 18 and there is nowno force tending to advance the strip of paper forward.

In advancing the stri however, the spring 54 has been put under tensionand is now free to act, rotating the roll 35 and-tending to pull thestrip of tickets in a direction reverse to that efl'ected by the rolls30 and 35. This movement will be limited, however, by the lever asmovement ofthe tickets brings the notches 81 opposite the bent Allmovement of the strip is now stopped and since the notches areaccurately centered with regard to the printing surfaces a ticket is inposition to be printed.

In th lution of the drum causes the rib 26 to de press the roller 19,presing the paper or ticket onto the roller 18 whereby the paper orticket is advanced. Assuming that before starting the machine thenotches 81 in a ticket engage the bent portions 63 of the lever 65, thenthe rib 26 is proportioned to cause the paper to move forward a distancesomewhat greater than the distance between notches. As soon as theroller 19 moves away from the paper forward movement of the latterceases and at once the spring 54, which has been placed under greatertension by the paper passing between the rollers 30 and 35 and rotatingthem, causes the paper to be moved backward until the bent portions 63of the lever 65 spring into engagement with the notches 81 in the paperto thereby arrest movement of the latter. The drum continues to rotateduring this positioning movement and when the proper alignment iseffected, the printing is done and the operation completed.

It will be noted that uniformity of feed for the strips is secured andalso that any irregularity in the distance between notches soon as theretrograde portion 63 of said lever. 5

e operation of the device each revo-.

will in no manner affect themachine, the

combined forward and backward movement eliminating all trouble. Thespring 54 may, be initially put under tension by manually turning theroller 35 the desired amount. 1

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: t l

1. The combination with a printing machine of a means cooperating withsaid guide member and adapted to engagethe edge of the paper to aligncertain portions of the paper with a printing surface.

2. The combination, with an impression member and a cooperating platen,of a feedpaper feed device, a. paper retractmg mechanism, a guidemember, and

ing and aligning device for paper, includmg two pairs of cooperatingpositioning rolls, means to render each pair of rolls operativealternately to move the paper in different directions, and a stopadapted to limit the movement in one direction without limiting it inthe other direction.

3. The combination with a printing machine, of means to move a strip ofpaper to printing position, said means comprising a plate member, aroller rotatably carried by said plate member a second freely rotatablerolle-r carried by said plate in contact with said first mentionedroller, means tending to rotate one of the rolls to withdraw the paperto printing position and means for imiting the withdrawing movement.

4. In a printing machine means for aligning notched paper to a printingsursecond roller, freely rotatable, carried by said plate in contactwith said first mentioned rollers, means to regulate the pressure of oneroller upon another, means normally tending to rotate one of the rollsto withdraw the paper to printing position and means to limit thewithdrawing movement.

5. In a. strip feeding device two cooperating sets of mechanisms, oneset acting to advance the strip and the other set acting to withdraw itto printing position, said second mechanism comprising a'plate member,,-a roller rotatably supported on said plate, a second roller rotatablymounted adjacent said first mentioned roller, means urging said rollerstogether, means to rotate one of said rollers, said means tending inoperation to withdraw the paper to printing position, and means to limitthe withdrawing movement.

' 6. The combination with a printing machine, means toadvance the paperbeyond printing position, and means to withdraw the paper to printingposition, said second face, said means comprising a plate member, aroller rotatably carried by said plate, a

means comprising a plate member, a roller 7 &

mentioned roller, means urging said rollers together, and means tendingto rotate one of said rollers and serving in operation to withdraw thepaper to printing position, and means to limit the withdrawing movement.

7. In a printing machine, means for aligning notched paper with aprinting surface, said means comprising a guide member having a notchtherein, a lever c0- operating wit said notch in said. guide memberwhereby said lever may align the notched portion of said strip withsaid:

tioned roller, said spring tending in operative position to withdraw thepaper to printing position, a pair of levers carried by said plate, anotched guide member carried by said plate, and means for urging saidlevers into said notches.

9. The combination of a printing drum, an impression-platen, a pair ofrollers for advancing the paper, arms for holding one of said rollersout of contact with the other, a roller carried by one of said arms, amember carried by said drum and adapted to engage said last mentionedroller to govern engagement of the feed rollers,

means for'driving one of the feed rollers,

and means for withdrawing the paper to printing position.

10. In a strip feeding device,-two cooperating sets of mechanisms, oneset acting to advance the strip and the other set actin to withdraw itto printing position, said second mechanism comprising a plate member, apair of spring members carried by said plate, a roller rotatably carriedby said. springs, a second freely rotatable roller carried by said platein contact with said first mentioned roller, means tending to rotate oneof the rolls to withdraw the paper to printing position, a pair of pivolevers carried by said plate, a bent portion near the end of saidlevers, a notched guide member carried by said plate and springs forurging said bent portions of the levei s into said notches.

11. In a strip feeding device two cooperating sets of mechanisms, oneset acting to advance the strip and the other set acting to withdraw itto printing position, said sazond mechanism comprising a plate member, apair of bearing members carried by said plate, a roller rotatablycarried by said pan of members, a second roller rotatably carried bysaid plate in contact with said first mentioned rollers, means toregulate the pressure of one roller upon another, means normally tendingto rotate one of the rolls to withdraw the paper to printing osition andmeans to limit the withdrawing movement.

12. In a strip feeding device two cooperating sets of mechanisms, oneset acting to advance the strip and the other set actin to withdraw itto printing position, said second mechanism comprising a plate member, apair of blocks removably' secured to said plate member, a spring membercarried by each of said blocks, a bearing block on each spring, an axlejournaled in said bearing block and a roller rotatably carried by saidaxle, a third pair of blocks carried by the plate, a freely rotatableroller carried by said third block in contact with said first mentionedroller, said springs urging said rollers together, means to adjust thetension of each of said springs comprising a. thumb screw, a ratchetsecured to said upper roller, a pawl therefor, a coil spring on saidaxle, one end of said spring being secured to said pawl and the other tosaid second mentioned blocks, said spring tending in operative positionto withdraw the paper to printing position, and means to limit thewithdrawing movement.

,13.-'In a strip feeding device two 00- operating sets of mechanisms,one set acting to advance the strip and the other set acting to withdrawit to printing position, sai second mechanism comprisin a plate member,a pair of blocks remova ly secured to said plate member, a spring membercarried by each of said blocks, a bearing block on each spring, an axlejournaled. in said bearingblock and a roller rotatably carried by saidaxle, a third pair of blocks carried by the plate, a freely secondrotatable roller carried by said third block in contact with said firstmentioned roller, said springs urging said rollers together, means toadjust the tension of each of said springs comprising a thumb screw, aratchet secured to said upper roller, spring on said axle, one end ofsaid spring being secured to said aw l and the other to second mentionedl'oeks, said spring tending in operative .position to withdraw the paperto printing position, a pair of pivoted levers carriedby said plate, abent portion near the end of said levers, a notched guide member carriedby said plate and springs for urging said bent portion of the leversinto said notches.

14. In a printing machine means for aligning paper with a printingsurface, said means comprising a plate member, a

a pawl therefor, a coil ratchet secured to said upper pair of blockssecured to said plate memher, a spring member carried by each of saidblocks, a bearing block on each spring, an axle journaled in said bearinblock and a roller rotatably carried by saic? axle, a freely rotatableroller carried by said plate in contact with said first mentionedroller, said springs urging said rollers together, a roller, a pawltherefor, a spring on said axle, one end of said spring being secured tosaid pawl and the.0ther to one of said second mentioned blocks, saidlast mentioned spring tending to withdraw the paper to printingposition, and means .to limit the withdrawing movement.

15. Ina printing machine, means for registering paper. with -a printingsurface, sai means comprising a plate member, a roller rotatablysupported on said plate member, a second roller mounted adjacentsaid'first mentioned roller, means urging said rollers together, meanstending to rotate said rollers in the direction to withdraw the paper torinting position, and means to limit the withdrawing movement.

16. In a printing machine, the combination with paper feeding mechanism,of a roller rotatably supported, a second roller adjacent said firstmentioned roller, means tending to rotate said rollers in a direction tocause them to withdraw the paper to printing position, and means tolimit the withdrawing movement.

17 The combination with a rota printing machine, of means for overfeedin the paper, means for retracting the fe paper to printingposition, and means'for stopping the retracted paper in printingposition.

18. In a machine for feeding a notched strip, the combination of meansto advance the strip, a. spring barrel bearing on the strip and tendingto partially return it, and a finger to en e one of the notches in thestrip and limit t e return.

19. In a mechanism for feedin a notched strip, the combination with mecanism for feeding the strip forwardly, of a pair of retractmg rollers,means for rotating said rollers to cause them to move the pa r in arearward direction, and a pair of ngers adapted to engage notches in thestrip during such rearward movement.

20. A combination with a prin roll and aplaten adapted to print on astrap, of

a pair of feedingrollels adapted to draw a strip. forward, a second pairof rollers sprin actuated and adapted to draw the strip ackward, andapair of spring fingers adapted to engage the opposite edges'of thestrip.

21. The combination with a rotary printing machine, of means to feedpaper forward to the machine,

a spring operated device for drawing the paper back a portion of thedistance for limiting the backward movement.

22. In a strip feeding mechanism, the combination of means for advancingthe strip, means for returning the strip a less distance than theadvance, and means adjustable for different widths of strip adapted toengage the strip edge to positively limit the return movement.

23. In a strip feeding mechanism, the combination of means for advancingthe strip, a spring device adapted to partially return the strip, and anadjustable stopping device for limiting the return movement adaptedto'engage the edges of the strip.

24. In a mechanism for feeding a notched strip, the combination of meansto advance the strip, a device to partially return the strip, a lateralladjustable guide for the strip, and a l ater'ally adjustable fingeradapted to enter one of the notches to limit the return.

25. In a machine for feeding a notched strip, the combination of meansto advance the strip, a spring device tending to partially fed, and astopping finger return the strip, laterally adjustable edge y pair ofspring pressed fingers bearin against the edges of the strip and adaptsto enter the notches to definitely position the strip, and an adjustablymounted frame adapted to vary the position of all of the mec anismmentioned with reference to a printing machine.

27 In a mechanism for feedin a notched strip, the combination with mecanism for feeding the strip forwardly, of a pair of retractmg rollers,spring means for rotating them in a rearward direction, a pair offingers adapted to engage notches in the strip on such rearwardmovement, and a longitudinally slotted plate. carrying the retractinrollers, their spring means and the retar 'ng fingers.

28. The combination with a printing machine, of a plate member mountedthereon, a roller rotatably supported on said plate member, a secondroller mounted adjacent said first mentioned roller, means urging saidrollers together, means tendin to rotate said rollers in the directionto wit draw the paper to' printing position, "and means to limit thewithdrawing movement.

29. The combination with a printing machine, of a plate member adustablymounted thereon, a roller rotatab g silllpported on said plate meinber,a secon ro er mounted adjacent said first mentioned roller, means urgingsaid rollers together, means tending -to rotate said rollers in thedirection to the e ges of the paper adjacent tothe edge guides.

3Q. The combination with a pair of feed rollers adapted to draw a stripof paper forw'ardly, of a second pair of rollers, spring actuated,adapted'to draw the strip rearwardly, edge guides for the strip, and apair of spring fingers adapted to engage the o posite edges of the stripadjacent to the ge gli ifides I v 31. e combination with a rotaryprinting machine, having a paper feed device,of a spring device fordrawing back the material fed, an edge guide for such material and astopping finger for engaging the strip adjacent the guide to limit theretraction.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto al'fix my signature.

HARRY 0. GAMMETER.

